In the aftermath of two mechanical snafus that forced passengers off light rail trains, a Sound Transit executive says the public should expect increased planned outages for maintenance, in hopes of preventing surprise shutdowns in the future.

Deputy CEO Ed Cobean, hired three weeks ago to lead service delivery, said his team is drafting plans to make night projects routine for a few days each month, and close portions of the trackways before the customary 1 a.m. finish. That way, crews accomplish more than they could during the usual four-hour service shutdown overnight.

“The more maintenance we do, the better the system will become,” Cobean said in an interview Monday afternoon.

Specific dates aren’t determined yet, but he proposes an ongoing effort, based on consultation with Sound T

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